


Lamenting the small back of this child of war

by Leu (Karaii)



Series: Naruto rarepair generator [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Child Soldiers, Digital Art, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-05-26
Packaged: 2020-03-19 21:44:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18978940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Karaii/pseuds/Leu
Summary: A quick illustrated drabble of how Minato (16) and Kakashi’s (6) first meeting could have possibly gone.





	Lamenting the small back of this child of war

Frankly speaking, the boy looked half-feral. Coarse hair stuck out at odd angles like straw, matted in such a way that said it hadn’t seen soap or a comb in weeks. Kakashi’s eyes were sunken and bruised, stare set at about a thousand yards and counting. He smelled like dog piss and blood from about as far, too.

“Hello.” Minato sank down to his knees so he would be more level with Kakashi’s face, aiming for an open smile. “My name is Namikaze Minato, and I will be your team leader for the foreseeable future.”

“Yes, sir. What are the mission parameters?”

Minato had seen Kakashi’s capability on the battlefield: how those small hands had wielded the White Fang’s short tanto like a katana, slicing hamstrings and achilles’ tendons while dashing underfoot. He knew not to underestimate Kakashi’s skill as a shinobi.

Kakashi’s skill as a human being, on the other hand…

“Well,” Minato hummed. “The first mission is simple: tell me about yourself! Your likes, your dislikes, your goals… that sort of thing.”

Kakashi stared vacantly at him.

Kakashi knew Rule 3 ‘A shinobi must follow their commander’s instructions’ superseded Rule 11 ‘A shinobi must never show any weakness’, and therefore his team leader’s request to divulge personal information was not something he could ignore, but he was well read on Torture and Interrogation techniques and knew how to share without sharing.

Kakashi fixed his eyesight on Namikaze’s forehead protector and answered mechanically. “I like completing my missions. I dislike failing my missions. My goal is to complete as many missions as possible.”

He was astute enough to detect a flicker of annoyance in Namikaze’s facial expression, though by now this was familiar to Kakashi. Few of his team leaders had liked him, but as long as that did not interfere with his impeccable mission success rate, he didn’t care.

“That’s, ah. Very professional, Kakashi-kun.”

Obviously. Kakashi was a career shinobi and he intended to make jonin as soon as humanly possible and get rid of deadweight like team leaders that didn’t know Rule 25 ‘A shinobi must hide their emotions’ if it hit them in the face.

Minato scratched his head and then thought better of it, hoping he hadn’t caught any flees from the boy. It was unfortunate basic hygiene wasn’t anywhere in the rules of being a shinobi.

“What are the mission parameters,” Kakashi repeated.

Minato paused, and then looked very serious. “Whoever reaches the dango stand first will receive this mission’s payment in full.”

Kakashi didn’t question it. With a crack of displaced electricity he was off, and Minato watched him go for a solemn second, lamenting the small back of this child of war, before he disappeared with his own version of the body flicker. He’d treat Kakashi to dango and maybe win the kid over that way: all kids liked sweets, right?

(Spoilers: Kakashi hated sweets. But the face the boy made when Minato made eating them a mission was priceless – doubly so when Kakashi realized he’d expressed distaste so visibly. Maybe this would work out after all.)


End file.
